Dear Friends,

Today is the day to tell you how much we love life, forest, empowered humans and balanced eco-systems. Love is the root, always. We wish you lots of love and loving choices to make this world a better place.

Picture: Valentine’s cake - solar baked by Nebbi’s Smart Up bakery in Uganda and Prudence Ladegi, solar baker :)

Dear solar friends,

We are ending the year with a dream that became true (for us).

A few days ago we have launched the Lytefire Hub where all Lytefire’s users can gather, find resources, dedicated forums, tips and share positive energy.

DIY’ers building the Lytefire 4, Solarpreneurs using the artisan oven in Africa, Solarpreneurs using the Lytefire Deluxe made in France... all of them are contributing to a decentralized and democratic us of solar energy.

Let’s see how these seeds grow next year.

Merry Christmas to all from the Lytefire Team.

This picture means the world to me.

We have installed this week a first solar oven in Alagaya refugee’s camp in Sudan, where about 220 000 people are living.

The conditions of this project have been extremely challenging and it’s not fully completed yet but the good will and determination of all partners have allowed the solar baking to start with success this week with the Lytefire 5 solar oven.

Working in refugee camps is very difficult, it’s a world per se. Hopefully this seed will grow and be of great use to the beneficiaries to progressively start to run their solar bakery. We’ll see in the coming weeks.

I have been waiting for that moment since day 1 when I heard about the very first solar concentrator in Cuba in 2007. Relieving a bit the burden from vulnerable people is what makes we wake up every day, no matter what.

Thank you Lytefire team for all the courage, love and persistence. Thank you Rami and Sam, Plan International and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for the great opportunity.

Nous sommes très heureux de vous annoncer que le guide de construction de la Lytefire 4 est à présent disponible en français. Il a été revu et mis à jour.

Et très bientôt (dans 15 jours en fait), on ouvre (enfin) le forum qui va permettre à tous les bricoleurs.euses de se construire le leur.

Voici le lien vers le guide : https://lytefire.com/diy-fr

Un grand merci à la Fondation Siemenpuu qui a permis cette traduction.

After a successful first training for a very nice group at Rape Hurts Foundation, the participants have been able to start their solar baking production with great success.

All together, Augustine Olowo, Allen Odongo and Sam Rodrigues have organized a great training.

Hellen Lunkuse W. Tanyinga, founder of RHF, says they are selling like crazy. Four people are involved in continuing the bakery and for now they are baking 200 buns each day, and selling easily to nearby shops and people who know them.

One can read on the wall of Rape Hurts Foundation: "A world in which human and children realize their full Human Rights, Health, Social-Economic and Civic potential." That is what we are willing to achieve as well, one solar oven at the time (and more and more actually!).

This project starts really well and the team can’t wait to continue after the holidays with more training’s.

This is made possible because of the close cooperation of RHF and ’s SELF, Solar Electric Light Fund, a US based NGO financing this project.

And a big thank you to Joan for organizing the shipping brilliantly, and to Jared, Josef and the workers in Kenya for building all this!

A big big thank you to all those who have supported this campaign in one way or another.

This raised budget will allow to build the 2 Lytefire solar ovens in Kenya and refresh one existing one, to give one to Joan who lives nearby, to send one to Hashimu who is in Tanzania and another one to Allen in Uganda, in addition to some utensils and ingredients.

It’s a huge step for us because until now, in Africa, we we’ve only worked with NGOs and not directly with the entrepreneurs creating their slow tech companies and local bakeries, and it’s really great to finally be able to do this!

Joan, Hashimu, Allen, we know them well, we work with them for training and they understand 200% the Solar Fire vision with decentralized energy and which is so successfully illustrated in France with Neoloco. So, there you go, with this support, they will do the same, make themselves visible, inspire people.

And meanwhile, these Lytefire ovens are spreading in different sizes and for different needs in different contexts...

 in France with entrepreneurs who have a more industrial version made in France to make bread or snacks,

 with associations that go to schools or festivals to talk about solar bakery (cookies and pizza too),

 with trainers in the self-construction of the small model,

 with self-constructions of the oven that we guide remotely for small and medium-sized associations in the South,

 with more and more local licensees manufacturers who will be able to market on their side,

 with schools in Africa whose canteens are being equipped,

 and with NGOs too of course.

And all these people, at the end of this month, will be able to discuss together on a forum that we have been dreaming about for a long time.

Like everything, it has been hard work, years and years of persistence, miles of life lessons, but it’s such a great journey!!

What a lovely birthday cake! It has been solar baked by Nebbi solar bakery for General Muhoozi for his birthday celebration in May 2022.

Then, on August 26th, 2022, during the International Youth Day Celebration held last month in different cities in Uganda, Nebbi solar bakery has gained national recognition in Gulu. "The team has been recognized for the great work in ending poverty through skilling and environmental conservation through the use of solar oven", says Prudence, team leader.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba is the son of the actual President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. The President could taste this delicious cake and have a look the oven while congratulating Prudence, the Head Baker.

Nebbi is one of the most performant groups trained by the team with the support of Plan International Uganda and Plan International Finland. Check their clip here!

Congratulations to this super motivated team!